Leslie Rae Emma, M.H.A.’14, M.P.H.’14, was working as a health promotion specialist for a corporate wellness fitness management company in Falls Church, VA, when she participated in the DMU M.H.A. program’s inaugural executive residency in September 2012.

“Due to my location in Virginia and responsibilities at the time, the online program was the best option for me. I was excited to learn about the executive residencies and the unique opportunity to see the campus, interact with my peers and the DMU faculty and have a different learning experience and approach to the course work and material that I had not had before in the program,” she says.

“I always completed the residencies with a new perspective and appreciation for my course work, a different outlook on my strengths and the drive and self-motivation to embrace opportunities to improve as a student and professional based on the materials practiced during the classes,” she adds.

Leslie is using those perspectives in her new job as a health advisor with Chevron Corporation at its U.S. headquarters in San Ramon, CA. She and her colleagues in the global health and medical and health and productivity department strive to promote wellness among Chevron employees and contractors, from organizing national wellness programs to trainings and preventative screening events.

“The [M.H.A.] program has really helped me in areas including behavioral change, use of teamwork strategies and the application of different communication styles”

“I love what I am doing, and I am really looking forward to all of the new opportunities to learn and develop in my current role as a Chevron health advisor and support the customers I manage,” she says. “The Chevron culture as well as the team that I am fortunate to work with every day are supportive, innovative and are continuously encouraging me to raise the bar in the ways that we can promote health and wellness to the Chevron workforce.”

Leslie is applying the knowledge and tools she gained in the M.H.A. program. “The program has really helped me in areas including behavioral change, use of teamwork strategies and the application of different communication styles,” she says. “At Chevron, stakeholder engagement, maintaining and developing partnerships, and collaboration with your team is important and encouraged. The M.H.A. courses offered during the residencies helped support these focus areas of team development and communication by giving me greater confidence to approach situations and conversations with my team.”

Leslie says she would highly recommend the program to others. “It is a great program for the working adult. For me, it was manageable with my other obligations, the faculty are extremely knowledgeable and supportive, and the course work was relevant and applicable to my roles and responsibilities in my career,” she says.

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2015/02/alumni-spotlight-leslie-rae-emma/feed/0M.H.A. is the wayhttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2015/02/m-h-a-way/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2015/02/m-h-a-way/#commentsWed, 04 Feb 2015 12:00:00 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=56954Students participate in three on-campus executive residencies during the program. Held on the DMU campus, these five-day residencies offer professional development that’s highly intensive and highly interactive. Sessions cover current issues in health care from leadership and quality assessment to governance, conflict resolution, and strategy formulation and implementation. Following the completion of an on campus residency, students return to work Monday with new skills that are directly applicable to their positions in management and leadership.

The first residency occurs at the beginning of the student’s course work, the second is at the end of block two course work, and the third is at the end of block three course work. Students will spend a total of 15 days on DMU’s campus while working toward completion of their M.H.A. degree.

The residencies are held each January and September, and are scheduled to run from Wednesday afternoon through Sunday morning. The majority of our students are employed, and we realize attending the residencies comes at a cost to your professional and personal lives. This schedule was developed to maximize your time on campus, while minimizing your time away from work.

“Earning the distinction signifies your expertise, experience and commitment to continuing education and professional development,” Belloff says. “Just as members of the medical staff are board-certified, having the FACHE credential by your name indicates a level of achievement in the profession.”

To obtain fellow status, candidates must have a master’s or other advanced degree as well as at least two years of health care management experience. They must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits and demonstrating professional/community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and lifelong learning. They undergo recertification every three years.

York notes the benefits that fellow status can bring to students. “The many resources available to ACHE members include education, current events and networking opportunities,” she says.“Making full use of these resources allows me to share cutting-edge knowledge in health care with my students.”

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/12/mha-faculty-earns-prestigious-credential/feed/0M.H.A. and M.P.H. programs praised as “pioneers” in utilizing Desire2Learn Insightshttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/09/mha-mph-programs-praised-as-pioneers-in-utilizing-desire2learn-insights/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/09/mha-mph-programs-praised-as-pioneers-in-utilizing-desire2learn-insights/#commentsFri, 26 Sep 2014 11:00:14 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=52953It’s no news that Des Moines University’s master of health care administration and master of public health programs continue to provide high quality education, but now they have another feather in their caps. According to John Gilhuly, senior project manager at Desire2Learn (D2L), these programs are “pioneers” in utilizing D2L’s curriculum mapping and student learning outcome assessment technologies. In fact, Gilhuly says, no other medical and health science degree programs are as advanced as DMU’s M.H.A. and M.P.H. programs in these measures.

This accomplishment is a result of the diligent teamwork of M.H.A. and M.P.H. faculty, directors, academic assistants and the instructional design coordinator in the College of Health Sciences. College and university senior administrators, information technology services (ITS) and the admission and registrar’s offices also have been very supportive in the process.

The curriculum mapping initiative for the M.H.A. and M.P.H. programs started approximately a year ago. Devrim Ozdemir, Ph.D., the instructional design coordinator for CHS, led the initiative. After D2L training was completed on campus, ITS created the technical infrastructure in D2L Brightspace based upon a number of meetings of the D2L Implementation Team and several ad hoc teams. Later, Dr. Ozdemir entered the M.H.A. and M.P.H. competency models into D2L and then developed and taught a fully online course entitled “Applied Curriculum Mapping” to 20 M.H.A. and M.P.H. faculty teaching courses during the fall 2014 term. That resulted in development of the curriculum maps for 24 courses. “Applied Curriculum Mapping” covered topics such as literature on curriculum mapping, existing university and college policies, accreditation agency requirements and development of effective course objectives, assessments and a curriculum map. In addition to completing the online course and spending numerous hours on their own, M.H.A. and M.P.H. faculty and staff spent around 300 hours on an individual basis with Dr. Ozdemir between mid-July and mid-September 2014 to complete their curriculum maps and respective new course development/design.

The first results from the D2L curriculum mapping and achievement reports are expected to be in by the end of the fall semester. These reports will allow the programs to identify the successful and problematic areas in the curriculum as well as in teaching and assessment practices, enabling the programs to maintain a high-quality curriculum aligned with their respective competencies.

In addition to this programmatic evaluation, the D2L tools create transparency for students. M.H.A. and M.P.H. students can see the connections between the assessments, course objectives and industry-level competencies; identify the competencies in which they excel or fail during their courses; and understand how individual courses enhance their success in their fields.

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/09/mha-mph-programs-praised-as-pioneers-in-utilizing-desire2learn-insights/feed/0Martha L. Owen, M.H.A.’96, FACMPEhttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/05/martha-l-owen-m-h-96-facmpe/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/05/martha-l-owen-m-h-96-facmpe/#commentsFri, 30 May 2014 15:00:48 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=49609Martha Owen, M.H.A.’96, FACMPE, recently accepted a new position as manager, change management and informatics, at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL.
]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/05/martha-l-owen-m-h-96-facmpe/feed/0Des Moines University’s 114th commencement ceremony to award 539 degreeshttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/05/des-moines-universitys-114th-commencement-ceremony-award-539-degrees/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2014/05/des-moines-universitys-114th-commencement-ceremony-award-539-degrees/#commentsMon, 19 May 2014 20:20:06 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=49439Des Moines University will grant 539 degrees at its 2014 Commencement Ceremony, the 114th in the university’s history, on Saturday, May 24, at 10 a.m. at Hy-Vee Hall in the Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines. The dean from each of the three DMU colleges will present their classes and DMU President Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., will confer degrees.

Continuing a tradition started in 1899, the College of Osteopathic Medicine will award the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree to 221 graduates. The college will also confer the master of science in anatomy and master of science in biomedical sciences degrees to 12 graduates. The College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery will award the doctor of podiatric medicine degree to 53 graduates. The College of Health Sciences will recognize 249 graduates from five programs – doctor of physical therapy, post-professional doctor of physical therapy, master of science in physician assistant studies, master of public health and master of health care administration. Some students earned dual degrees.

Senator Tom Harkin will deliver the commencement address. Senator Harkin has represented Iowa in Congress for nearly 40 years. He has championed critical legislation that improves lives, working to transform America into a “wellness society” focused on disease prevention, healthier lifestyles and good nutrition. His hallmark legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act, changed the nation’s landscape by requiring buildings and transportation to be wheelchair-accessible and workplaces to accommodate people with disabilities.

# # #

Des Moines University (DMU) is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, biomedical sciences, anatomy, health care administration and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions.

Ellen “Ellie” Bernard is particular about what foods she eats and where they come from. She satiates that “hunger” with a simple solution: As much as she can, she grows her own.

“My classmates all think I’m crazy, but I’m going to raise everything I can,” she says. A student in both the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and the health care administration program, Bernard has ties to both medicine and the land. Her grandfather Robert Hill taught DMU students at Des Moines’ former Wilden Osteopathic Hospital; her father, Gary Bernard, is a 1987 DMU osteopathic medical graduate, and her mother, Barbara, is a veterinarian. Her parents have a nearly one-acre garden near Galena, IL, and purchase meat from local producers.

Bernard and her fiancé, Kyle Colgan, have followed suit. Though their backyard was a “disaster” of waist-high weeds and glass bottle shards when they moved into their Des Moines home three years ago, it now features a sprawling garden teeming with tomatoes, green beans, peppers, sweet potatoes, strawberries, herbs and more. Zinnias and sunflowers nod along the fence while cats Woody and Gus, shaved by Bernard’s mom to resemble little lions, stalk the undergrowth.

Colgan has brewed his own beer since Bernard gave him a kit for Christmas one year; he reciprocated by giving her canning equipment and a Food Saver vacuum sealer. The couple, who recently acquired a second freezer, preserve salsa, pasta and enchilada sauces, chili base, pickles and giardiniera, and they buy meat through her parents’ farm connections and at local farmers’ markets.

“Last weekend, we bought 28 pounds of chicken,” Colgan says. “We went to the farmers’ market with a cooler and a small cart.”

While many Americans say they don’t have time to even cook a meal, Bernard believes growing one’s own is the best way to achieve personal and environmental health.

“I make the time because it’s important to me,” she says.

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/11/garden-grow/feed/0Ryan T. Dow, M.H.A., M.P.H.’12http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/11/ryan-t-dow-m-h-m-p-h-12/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/11/ryan-t-dow-m-h-m-p-h-12/#commentsWed, 20 Nov 2013 16:44:32 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=40355Dow is a safety, health and environmental consultant in the administrative branch at DuPont Pioneer for all its lab and research operations in the Des Moines, IA, area. He oversees safety for more than 1,000 people; some of his efforts are going toward global implementation.
]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/11/ryan-t-dow-m-h-m-p-h-12/feed/0Opportunities abound in military medicine Just ask Alhttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/11/opportunities-abound-military-medicine-just-ask-al/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/11/opportunities-abound-military-medicine-just-ask-al/#commentsMon, 11 Nov 2013 11:00:30 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=39960While many perceive military life as defined by discipline, rules and restrictions, even a quick scan of the curriculum vitae of Alfred Shwayhat, D.O.’96, M.H.A.’95, M.P.H., FACP, FACE, shows its opportunities. A captain in the U.S. Navy, he is designated a naval flight surgeon, surface warfare medical department officer and Fleet Marine Force medical officer. Chief of endocrinology at the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), he previously served as the Health Services Department head aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN70), from which he led medical relief operations for the carrier task force in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

If you think military life is one of constraints andrestrictions, consider the many-faceted career of an alumnus who has held roles ranging from flight surgeon and medical officer tofaculty member, researcher and disaster relief provider.

Residency-trained and board-certified in internal medicine and aerospace medicine and fellowship-trained and certified in endocrinology, Shwayhat also has received five teaching awards at NMCSD, given numerous professional presentations and published research articles. He has earned honors including the Navy/Marine Corps Operational Flight Surgeon of the Year, NMCSD Internal Medicine Attending Physician of the Year and Commander of Naval Air Forces/Navy and Marine Association Best Senior Officer of the Year, as well as being awarded a pile of military medals.

“When I look at myself in the mirror, I can still vaguely see the skinny, eager-to-please, somewhat self-conscious small-town kid who was raised by his parents to work extremely hard and make the most of life,” he says. He grew up working after school in his father’s Santa Rosa, CA, grocery store, stocking shelves, refilling the refrigerator and working the cash register.

“My parents, who were immigrants to the U.S., wanted their kids to have a better life than they had,” he says.

As a teenager, he had no interest whatsoever in the military. He also thought “doctors seemed so overstressed and boring,” but that changed when, as a graduate student, he met a couple of Navy physicians in his job as a research assistant at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego.

“Captain Pat Olson and Captain Jerry Linenger were athletic, had been everywhere, practiced in medical centers as well as in austere conditions and, as flight surgeons, had flown in all kinds of cool Navy and Marine aircraft,” he recalls. “But they remained humble and enjoyable people to be around. I was in graduate school with Captain Olson, who was a very interesting world-traveled preventive medicine specialist, and I worked for Captain Linenger as a research assistant. Captain Linenger was later accepted to NASA’s astronaut program and flew in two missions aboard the space shuttles Atlantis and Discovery.

“I was a wide-eyed kid in awe when these guys would talk of their experiences in the Navy,” he adds. “I figured in order to divert toward their pathways, I had to finish graduate school and apply to medical school and the Navy HPSP [Health Professions Scholarship Program]. So I did all those things and found myself landing at Des Moines University. Some call it destiny. I call it divine intervention at a critical time in my life.”

That set Shwayhat on a path of pushing past his comfort zones, from pursuing graduate and medical degrees to skydiving as a DMU student – even though at the time he was afraid of heights – to graduate medical education training and academic clinical practice, deployments with a Marine squadron and later aboard an aircraft carrier, to service on the USNS Comfort hospital ship on humanitarian missions in Central and South America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

“The Navy’s interests and mine have been aligned thus far. I’m sort of known as the guy who just can’t say ‘no’ if he is needed,” he says. “At heart, I’m still like a kid in a candy store. Why take only one lollipop when the owner keeps offering you another one?”

That love of variety and willingness to embrace it have made military life a good fit for Shwayhat. In recent years he’s also focused on raising his two children, Ellen and Joseph, whom he calls the “greatest joys of my life.”

“I’m forever thankful to my country, my family, DMU and the Navy for the privileges they gave me. My mantra has been to work hard, treat each day as if it were my last, and if I am not sure what to do next, to take the option that offers the most options after it,” he says. “As I opened each door, new ones opened. I wonder what’s next?” ✪

They’re taking the lead in helping future military officers succeed: Top officers of the national Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS) are DMU students Justin Chaltry, vice president; Megan Loftsgaarden, secretary; and Joshua Dilday, president.

Leigh Rexius enlisted in the U.S. Army infantry after graduating from high school in 1997. He later joined the Army National Guard, working as a mechanic and deploying to Iraq for 15 months in 2005-2006. Now in his 30s, he’s a third-year student in DMU’s osteopathic medical program.

Classmates Joshua Dilday and Justin Chaltry commissioned in the military as undergraduates at Truman State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively, where they gained military training in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Both earned recognition as distinguished military graduates.

Contrast those experiences with that of Ben Gaumer, D.O.’79, who commissioned as a naval ensign while a medical student in order to qualify for the military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). When he reported to Naval Regional Medical Center (NRMC) at Camp Pendleton, CA, for his medical internship, he says, “I learned how to salute and how to wear my uniform by looking at others.”

Gaumer went on to become a rear admiral, commander of Naval Reserve Fleet hospitals and associate deputy chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, among many other roles. Now retired from the military and serving as Iowa regional chief medical informatics officer for Catholic Health Initiatives, he still recalls his NRMC debut as not his proudest moment.

“One of the first things they had us do was to get our photo taken,” he says. “I went to the hospital with long hair that covered my ears, wearing a gold chain, the most atrocious appearance possible, because I had gotten no prior military training.”

A new elective in DMU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine seeks to address that gap by preparing current osteopathic students in the military for their future roles as officers. The idea was driven by Dilday, national president of the Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS), and Chaltry, national SAMOPS vice president. As an undergraduate, Chaltry was a double major working a couple of jobs, fulfilling military requirements and working as an emergency medical technician.

“I was a medical officer for a battalion. I wasn’t even an officer yet and had 100-plus men’s health in my hands,” he says. “It was humbling and cool. Josh and I are trying to carry that discipline into medical school and to other military medical students. We both have the confidence that comes from our prior military experiences, and we want fellow students to gain that as well. It’s all about comfort.”

There’s pride involved as well. Many medical students, like Gaumer, commission in the military primarily to receive the HPSP’s benefits of full tuition and a monthly stipend. That comes with an obligation to serve active duty as officers after they graduate. However, because they often get little or no military training until then, they may lack adequate leadership skills and working military knowledge.

“Upon graduation, students who haven’t had previous military experience kind of get thrown into the deep end of the pool,” says Gaumer. “This will give students a leg up and help everybody start at a higher level.”

That will be good for DMU, too, he and the students agree.

“We wanted to create a training environment with the elective where students can become the best military officers they can be,” Dilday says. “We want each student here to know their roles and responsibilities, so DMU is known for its high military officer quality.”

Leadership, discipline, unity

DMU’s military elective will include sessions and speakers on military medicine topics and simulation experiences in battlefield medicine. Additional exercises will be offered with SAMOPS, an optional club for military students, including helicopter medical evacuation training, rifle simulation labs and community outreach.

Dilday and Chaltry brought their idea for more robust military training for students to David Plundo, D.O.’85, M.P.H.’11, FACOFP, while he was serving as acting dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM). He supported the idea as consistent with DMU’s mission and tradition.

“DMU wants to help students who have joined the military to know what to expect and to make a good impression,” says Plundo, COM associate dean of medical education and external affairs. “DMU also has a tradition of having a number of alumni who have gone on to very distinguished careers in all branches of the military.”

Plundo invited one of those graduates, Gaumer, to serve as the new elective’s adviser, and Timothy Steele, Ph.D., to be its chief coordinator.

“I’m very honored to be part of this and thrilled that our military students could get some extra training,” says Steele, chair of microbiology and immunology and a U.S. Coast Guard veteran. “It will give them some advanced preparation in the concepts, leadership roles and potential experiences they’ll have as military physicians.”

Those advantages for students may generate benefits for DMU. “It may help the University attract more students who are in the military,” Steele notes. “We’re looking for ways we can be distinctive, as so few osteopathic schools have something like this. There may be students who come here because of the elective.”

Like SAMOPS, the elective will be a way for military students to connect. While 70 current students – 67 in osteopathic medicine, two in the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery and one in the master of health care administration program – receive the HPSP scholarship, DMU does not track other students who are active duty, in the reserve or are veterans.

“We didn’t have a clear picture of how many military students are here,” Plundo says. “If you didn’t belong to SAMOPS, you might not know who other military students were.”

Dilday, Chaltry and their military classmates hope the elective will change that. “In order to facilitate better officership, we want to create better unity,” Dilday says. In April, he and Chaltry began leading 7 a.m. physical training sessions every Wednesday to promote fitness and help prepare students who planned to participate in basic training over the summer.

“We expected every SAMOPS member to be there,” Dilday says. “If you’re the best surgeon, the best OB/GYN in the military, you’re still judged by how many pushups you can do.”

The military students also worked with the Iowa Air National Guard to organize flights in UH 60 Black Hawk helicopters and with the Iowa Army National Guard to offer simulation range experiences, in which participants learned basic handling of the M4 carbine and M16 service rifles. Such activities will continue as joint offerings of SAMOPS and the military elective.

Those involved in creating the elective would like to see it evolve into a more extensive “track” for military students, including not just those in DMU’s osteopathic medical program. Plundo compares the concept to the University’s Rural Medicine Educational Pathway (RMEP), which provides specialized education and training to prepare clinical students to practice in rural, underserved areas of Iowa.

“I ran the rural medicine track; why not model a military track after that?” he says. “If we identify interest in it like we did for the rural medicine track, we could expand it, ensuring it brings value to the University and to the students.”

Exposure to the military’s structural and operational aspects could help shape the mindset future military physicians will need. “Students think they’re doctors first and military officers second, but really it’s the opposite,” Gaumer says. “People in the military expect you to be an officer first.” ✪

Military alumni, please report for (volunteer) duty

DMU’s military students include Lindsay Brewster, D.O.’16, Susan Chinnery, D.O.’15, and Justin Chaltry, D.O.’15. Above, they celebrate Brewster’s commissioning as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, the office also held by Chinnery. Chaltry is a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve.

Megan Loftsgaarden’s grandfathers served in the Navy during World War II. A grandmother joined the Army Nurse Corps during the war and was part of an elite group that served in the Pacific. Her brother graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, in May, and several aunts and uncles joined various military branches. “It’s important for me to honor that service,” she says.

Loftsgaarden is doing that as a third-year osteopathic medical student who commissioned in the Army when she enrolled at DMU. Secretary of the national Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS), she and her fellow military students want mentors – DMU alumni who are past and current military members who can guide them on their military medical journeys.

“We really want to connect with alumni. They’re such a valuable resource for us regarding which rotations are the best and the opportunities military medicine has to offer,” she says. “We would love to have a mentor program with any alumni who could give us their e-mail address, so students interested in their career path could get advice and recommendations.”

Sam Grasso, a second-year osteopathic medical and military student and president of the DMU SAMOPS chapter, echoes that hope. He adds that military alumni could participate as speakers for the University’s new military elective as well as mentors for students. That would greatly benefit students like him who, despite his having officer training at Fort Sam Houston, have little military background.

“A lot of military medical students are in my shoes,” he says. “Having military mentors among DMU alumni would better help us learn about and prepare for military medicine.”

Robert Suter, D.O.’89, M.H.A.’89, FACEP, was one of the first, if not the first, person to graduate with two DMU degrees simultaneously. (At his commencement, he walked across the stage twice.) That gives him a keen appreciation and valuable perspective as president of the DMU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“One of the most incredible things about DMU is the way its three colleges have come together to become a truly interdisciplinary health sciences university,” he says. “The DMU Alumni Association, which represents graduates of all programs, exemplifies our unified alma mater.”

Suter played a role in bringing DMU’s three former alumni boards – one for each college – together as one. Past president-elect and secretary-treasurer of the College of Osteopathic Medicine Alumni Board, he became president of the unified board in May. His goals in that role include enhancing the University’s mentor program that connects alumni with current students; further engaging the three colleges and their deans with the board; and encouraging more alumni to support DMU financially.

“I say jokingly, although there’s truth to it, that when your university doesn’t have a football team, your alumni association has a different role,” he says. “That includes our being involved more in the interprofessional education of our students and networking among our graduates.”

Professor of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern, Suter also is a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and professor of military and emergency medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Past president of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, he has practiced in a variety of settings and has been involved in academic medicine throughout his career. His love of teaching students and respect for DMU’s leaders and his fellow alumni keep him excited about the alumni association and its board.

“As a board, I think we have experience and expertise that bring value to the University and can help shape its future,” he says.

The association also benefits alumni as a “mechanism for networking, engaging with the University and interacting with students,” he says. Suter encourages all alumni to connect with DMU.

“It is about giving back, but over the long run, alumni who get involved are going to get back more than they give,” he says. “To other alumni, I say you need to re-engage, share your passion and expertise. You will be rewarded personally.”

On a late-spring evening at Des Moines’ Jasper Winery, people sipped wine and noshed on appetizers while discussing their careers, organizations and steps to their success. It was the quarterly meeting of DMU Health Leaders and the type of event the group’s new president and chief executive officer had envisioned.

“I was really interested in the networking opportunities the group could offer,” says Pam Elbert, a student in DMU’s master of health care administration (MHA) program and a project manager and supervisor for the business solutions company SourceHOV in Urbandale, IA. “So much of our program is online, which can be a benefit, but I missed that face-to-face interaction.”

DMU Health Leaders was established years ago as an honorary society for MHA students. Last year, they gave it a makeover to take advantage of today’s social media options and increase networking and collaboration with other campus organizations, alumni and other local health care professionals. They elected a leadership team, revamped its bylaws and brainstormed on ideas for activities.

Now DMU Health Leaders offers monthly informal gatherings and networking events with individuals working in health organizations, from hospitals to retirement communities. While geared toward students in the MHA and master of public health program, the group is an inclusive one.

“We’re trying to reach out to a lot of different people,” says MHA student Samantha Brower, Health Leaders vice president and chief operating officer and a physician human resources specialist with Des Moines’ Mercy Medical Center. “It helps us a lot to learn how various professionals got to where they are and what they do in their roles. Sometimes we students don’t know all of our options.”

Health Leaders offers advantages to DMU alumni as well as students, says its chief financial officer and MHA student Bill Koller. They include an opportunity to “give back” by sharing their expertise and experiences with students and a way to “stay involved with minimal personal and financial commitment.”

Koller adds, “As alumni, you can stay directly connected to your DMU program as a mentor or financier” for the group. Another benefit: “access to a qualified and eager pool of potential intern, capstone and field-based learning candidates.”

Elbert says the benefits go beyond purely professional.

“After our events, I always find myself more fired up,” she says. “Our guests always give us good information and encouragement. I find that so motivating.”

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/11/linking-current-future-leaders-health-care/feed/0M.H.A. program receives candidate status from CAHMEhttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/10/m-h-program-receives-candidate-status-cahme/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/10/m-h-program-receives-candidate-status-cahme/#commentsFri, 25 Oct 2013 16:46:32 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=39660The Master’s of Health Care Administration (M.H.A.) program has been approved for candidate status by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The 2013-2014 academic year will serve as a self-study year as part of the process to achieve full accreditation for the M.H.A. program.

“We are very pleased with CAHME’s decision to extend candidacy status to the program,” says Carla Stebbins, Ph.D., director of the M.H.A. program. “The program and University community have worked for several years to align with the accreditation standards. We sincerely believe that we have a superior program designed to blend the needs and wants of the working adult, with an academic experience that develops measured competence in health care leadership.”

CAHME is the only organization recognized to grant accreditation to individual academic programs offering a professional master’s degree in health care management education. Candidate status is an indication that a program in health care management has voluntarily committed to participate in a plan of self-improvement and is actively progressing toward the status of accreditation. Candidate status is not accredited status and does not guarantee eventual accredited status.

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/10/m-h-program-receives-candidate-status-cahme/feed/0Des Moines University’s 113th commencement ceremony to award 486 degreeshttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/05/des-moines-universitys-113th-commencement-ceremony-to-award-486-degrees/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/05/des-moines-universitys-113th-commencement-ceremony-to-award-486-degrees/#commentsFri, 17 May 2013 15:16:26 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/?p=34215Des Moines University will grant 486 degrees at its 2013 Commencement Ceremony, the 113th in the university’s history, on Saturday, May 25, at 10 a.m. at Hy-Vee Hall in the Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines. The dean from each of the three DMU colleges will present their classes and DMU President Angela L. Walker Franklin, Ph.D., will confer degrees.

Continuing a tradition started in 1899, the College of Osteopathic Medicine will award the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree to 221 graduates. The college will also confer the master of science in anatomy and master of science in biomedical sciences degrees to nine graduates. The College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery will award the doctor of podiatric medicine degree to 44 graduates. The College of Health Sciences will recognize 209 graduates from five programs – doctor of physical therapy, post-professional doctor of physical therapy, master of science in physician assistant studies, master of public health and master of health care administration. Some students earned dual degrees.

Former White House physician to the president Eleanor Concepcion “Connie” Mariano, M.D., FACP, will deliver the commencement address. A retired Navy rear admiral, Mariano was the first military woman to serve as White House physician to the president. She held the title for a decade, providing care for Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. She is the founder of the Center for Executive Medicine, a medical concierge practice that provides presidential-quality medical care to chief executive officers and their families.

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Des Moines University (DMU) is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, biomedical sciences, anatomy, health care administration and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions.

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/05/des-moines-universitys-113th-commencement-ceremony-to-award-486-degrees/feed/0Come see a free film on a hot topichttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/03/come-see-a-free-film-on-a-hot-topic/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/03/come-see-a-free-film-on-a-hot-topic/#commentsTue, 26 Mar 2013 10:00:11 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/doseofdmu/?p=10438To mark National Public Health Week, April 1-7, DMU’s Master of Public Health Student Club invites you to a free showing of the award-winning film, “Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare.” The film takes a hard look at our nation’s “badly broken” health care system, with its high costs, poor health outcomes and focus on disease care versus prevention.

Named after the swath of grassland or forest that firefighters intentionally ignite to provide shelter from an oncoming blaze, “Escape Fire,” in the words of directors Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke, strives to “address what might be done to create a sustainable system for the future, to transcend the misinformation, the angry partisan debates and create a clear and comprehensive look at health care in America.”

No small goal, and a critically important one: Heineman and Froemke point out that within 10 years, health care costs in America are on track to reach $4.2 trillion annually, roughly 20 percent of our gross domestic product. We’re not getting our money’s worth, they add, given that “about 65 percent of Americans are overweight and almost 75 percent of health care costs are spent on preventable diseases that are the major causes of disability and death in our society.”

Join the DMU community for this important film and discussion. The showing, which is free and open to the public, will occur on Tuesday, April 2, at 7 p.m. in DMU’s Student Education Center Auditorium. Click here for a campus map and directions.

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/03/come-see-a-free-film-on-a-hot-topic/feed/0Advance your career at DMUhttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/03/advance-your-career-at-dmu/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2013/03/advance-your-career-at-dmu/#commentsMon, 11 Mar 2013 10:01:22 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/doseofdmu/?p=10324Looking to be a leader in today’s ever-changing health care environment? Choose DMU and get started on earning your degree in either the master in health care administration or master of public health programs.

The M.H.A. program at DMU was established to support professionals who wish to enhance their career with a degree while remaining employed. Three-quarters of the degree requirement is offered online, while one-quarter of the coursework is completed on our campus through the Executive Residencies. Earning an M.H.A at DMU allows students to further develop their understanding of the health care delivery system and their management and leadership skills.

On campus or online, a M.P.H. degree offers career opportunities that suit various interests and skills. Whether you are interested in analyzing data, conducting research or working with people, there is a place for you. A career in public health is ideal for those who gain satisfaction knowing they are improving the lives of others.

Take a step toward your future and apply now to our M.H.A. or M.P.H. programs! Applications are due by May 1, 2013.

Demonstration of participation in College activities and interest in assisting ACHE in achieving its objectives

Congratulations Kari!

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2012/10/early-career-healthcare-executive-award/feed/0Welcome to our MHA executive residency students!http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2012/09/welcome-to-our-mha-executive-residency-students/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2012/09/welcome-to-our-mha-executive-residency-students/#commentsTue, 11 Sep 2012 10:18:45 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/doseofdmu/?p=9027This week, the Des Moines University community will welcome to campus students in the master of health care administration (MHA) program’s inaugural executive residency. These on-campus programs, each of approximately five days, will immerse students in real-world scenarios that integrate theory into practice.

To our MHA executive residency students: Make yourself at home.

DMU’s MHA degree is designed for early- to mid-career working professionals who seek a graduate degree to progress in their profession. The program’s year-round calendar is based on three 12-week terms each year. Students earn 48 total credit hours in 20 courses – 45 academic course credit hours and three Field Based Learning credit hours.

The MHA program offers flexible enrollment, allowing students the freedom to complete their degree requirements in as little as two years and up to seven years. The academic courses are divided into three blocks: Block one includes seven courses and earns 19 credit hours; block two includes seven courses and earns 16 credit hours; and block three includes five courses and earns 10 credit hours. Students complete their course work online and also are required to participate in three on-campus executive residencies.

Students earn academic credit hours in the graded residencies. The first residency occurs at the beginning of the student’s course work, the second is at the end of block two course work, and the third is at the end of block three course work. In the residency that begins tomorrow and continues through Sunday, students will demonstrate their growing mastery of skills in the curriculum and will be challenged with increasingly diverse team and individual projects. They’ll also work one-on-one and in small learning communities with their academic advisors, interact with the MHA Advisory Committee and talk with five local health care leaders at a career-panel dinner Saturday evening.

The final residency sets up the student’s Field Based Learning (FBL), the final course in the program. Students complete the FBL in a single academic term following completion of all other block courses. The course, in which students earn three credit hours, is designed to replicate the management and leadership of a consulting assignment typical of a new graduate and includes actual project work and the supporting academic research in a blend of theory and practice.

The MHA faculty created the program’s on-campus executive residencies to satisfy accreditation requirements of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), which already has granted the program eligibility approval. They created the residencies also in response to feedback from students, who wanted to feel more connected to the program and to the University.

Des Moines University awarded 16 degrees at a summer commencement ceremony held on August 17 at 3 p.m. in the Medical Education Center, 3200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines. The dean from two of the three DMU colleges presented their classes and DMU President Angela Walker Franklin, Ph.D., conferred degrees.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine awarded the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree to one graduate. The college also conferred the master of science in anatomy to four graduates and the master of science in biomedical sciences degrees to two. The College of Health Sciences recognized nine degrees to graduates from the master of health care administration and master of public health programs.

# # #

Des Moines University (DMU) is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, biomedical sciences, anatomy, health care administration and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions.

]]>http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2012/08/des-moines-university-awards-16-degrees-at-summer-commencement/feed/0A sure bet career-wisehttp://www.dmu.edu/dose/2012/06/a-sure-bet-career-wise/
http://www.dmu.edu/dose/2012/06/a-sure-bet-career-wise/#commentsMon, 18 Jun 2012 10:00:37 +0000http://www.dmu.edu/doseofdmu/?p=8427With unemployment at 8.2 percent and underemployment near 18 percent, pursuing a graduate degree is both an attractive option and a big investment. In this unsettled economy, which graduate degrees are “safe” options that lead to career opportunities?

Forbes recently compiled dataon salaries and employment outlooks to determine which master’s degrees would provide the best long-term prospects. The winner, for the third consecutive year: physician assistant. As Forbes writer Jacquelyn Smith notes, the lack of doctors and seats in medical schools creates great demand for PAs, medical professionals who provide diagnostic and preventive health care services under the supervision of doctors.

The outlook is great for physician assistants.

Smith also states that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for PAs are expected to grow 30 percent by 2020.

“Both an aging population and health care reform are contributing to a higher demand for health care services,” Payscale economist Katie Bardaro told Smith. “As fully capable medical professionals, physician assistants are able to alleviate the pressure on doctors by performing important and necessary health care tasks to this increasing pool of patients.”

Another “best master’s degree,” the Forbes study found, is health care administration, which ranked number eight. The projected employment increase for jobs associated with the degree is 22 percent.

This is great news for students in DMU’s master’s degree programs in physician assistant studies and health care administration, although we weren’t worried: Our students are exceptionally competent, compassionate individuals who graduate ready to serve and lead. We believe health care is in very good hands among our students and alumni.